Speaking with Grackles by Soapberry Trees

by Cesar Leonardo De Leon

César L. de León's debut book, speaking with grackles by soapberry trees, is a collection of poems that make their home in the Borderlands of Texas. There are poems rooted in childhood and young-adult memories like "El Mundo" and "Learning to Swim," and works like "The Migration of the Mariposa" twin poems and others that deal with queerness, identity, and relationships -familial and romantic. The inevitable grappling and coping that comes from living in a contested space, like the border, at a time when gun violence, police brutality, immigrant incarceration, and racism have increasingly become part of everyday life around the country can be found in poems like "River Escucha," "Sugar Skull," and others. Throughout the collection, the spirit of the borderlands marks its presence in a form of spirituality connecting the speaker with the natural world around him; birds aren't the only things that he communes with. Lastly, like the ever-mutable nature of the land, more than a few of the poems in this collection range in form with creative and intentional use of white space or by fashioning pieces like "American Mathematics" and "Cloud Watching" in forms atypical for poetry.

92 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2021

Reviews

[johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

De Leon's poetry is well informed and in tune with nature. Throughout this collection there are many moments filled with beautiful descriptions of the natural landscape of the Valley. His writing finds a sweet spot in all the uncertainty that comes with being human. In poems such as "el mundo" and "how to play it safe at a texas bbq: a joto's guide" De Leon tackles identity amid intolerant spaces. In "vuelo" and "calling home" we see the conflict that arises in wanting to fly far and high, but also the wanting of a place to call home. Filled with cultural imagery, this collection is representation of something grander than one singular experience: it speaks to the many voices that call rgv home <3

I absolutely loved this one. I love love many poetry collections, but this one is extremely special and I see myself coming back to it frequently.

[Edward Vidaurre · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the top poets coming from the Rio Grande Valley. If you’re looking for truth writing from along the borderlands, this is it!

[Thomas Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt and insightful poems from a fronterizo. These poems find the extraordinary in the ordinary, and their accessibility adds to their relatibility.